Control cables are cable assemblies that are commonly used in various applications to transfer motion from a first point to a second point. The cables may be connected at a first end to a lever or movable device and at a second end to an actuator or second movable device. The cables may transfer the motion of the lever to the actuator to apply a desired force across a distance.
Control cables provide several advantages over alternative devices, such as connecting rods. Commonly, control cables are composed of flexible but durable materials, such as steel or metallic wire strands wound together. The cables may be flexible enough to bend around other components but strong enough to apply a push force and a pull force. The cable flexibility leads to reduced wear within the system. The control cables also provide lower noise transmission and reduced assembly costs.
In some applications, control cables may be used in tandem or in coupled pairs. One such application is in small motor vehicles, such as golf carts, four-wheelers, and other small off-road vehicles. Often, these types of vehicles have gear selections of only forward and reverse. In these types of applications a control cable may be used for transferring motion from the gear selection lever to the gear actuator.
Because the forward and reverse gears should not be simultaneously activated, the control cable coupling may be designed to move the first and second cables in opposite directions of each other. For example, the first and second control cables may be held by a coupling device. The coupling device may interconnect the first and second control cables and allow them to rotate with respect to the coupling device. The coupling device may further be rotatably connected to a base to allow reciprocating movement of the first and second cables with respect to one another.
Current designs for cable pairings suffer from several drawbacks and deficiencies. First the cables often wear and require maintenance or replacement. Current cable pairing designs, however, do not allow the cable to be disconnected or removed from the coupling device. Therefore, the entire assembly must often be replaced in order to service a single cable. Alternatively, the coupling device can be deformed in order to remove the cable from the pairing. However, this results in damage to the coupling device and increases the chance of future failure.
A second drawback is that current designs of cable pairings require difficult assembly. Specifically, because the coupling device is not configured to allow the first or second cable to be removable, the cables must be fully assembled in the coupling device. This slows down the assembly process, costing time and ultimately money.
Accordingly, an improved attachment for connecting the control cables and other vehicle accessories to a vehicle is needed in the art.